Hustle Him (Bank Shot Romance #2)(58)
Author: Jennifer Foor

When it was time to say goodbye, I felt like a weight had lifted off of me. Ramsey had been right all along about his parents. They never made me feel like I was just a replacement. His mother was genuinely grateful that I’d pushed my way into her son’s life. She didn’t know that he’d pushed his way right inside of mine. At the end of the day, I was thrilled to have such considerate people to call family.

We were so blessed and seeing my kids so happy made me overjoyed.

Logan always called Ramsey his hero. He would always be my hero, too.

Epilogue

Ramsey

You’re probably wondering who won the bet about naming the baby. We actually didn’t get to play our match until a week before the baby was born. With the construction finished on the restaurant and everything else we hand to do to get it going, by the time we got home at night, we were both too tired to go downstairs and stand around.

Finally, on a Sunday morning, I found Vessa downstairs folding clothes. She insisted on doing the laundry, even when she couldn’t carry up the baskets anymore. I tried to explain to her that I could wash clothes, but after she’d seen me attempt to cook some things, she decided that she was just going to do it.

That was the hardhead that I fell in love with.

When I started balls around on the table, she came into the pool table area with her hands on her back. Her belly was so big that standing became a task on its own.

We’d talked about baby names, but each time, we went back to letting the game decide.

Vessa pointed to the rack that was hanging on the wall. “Are we starting over?”

“Of course. I’ll even let you break.”

She smiled and pulled her dad’s old stick out of it’s case. I watched her chalking it up and making sure I didn’t give her a loose rack to break up. It was kind of a way to cheat. The looser the rack, the harder it was to break out the balls. For a good player, the break was a big part of the strategy to run out the balls. If no balls were made, you lost your turn.

I started laughing when I saw her questioning me. “What? I was just making sure you weren’t …”

“I see how you are. Break up the balls, woman.”

She won the first rack easily, almost like she hadn’t taken a day off from playing. That woman had skills, that was for sure. The second game consisted of a bunch of safety shots on both of us. I managed to win, barely. I broke and ran out the third game. She kicked my ass the fourth game. During the fifth game was when I saw her change her game. She started smiling and laughing when she missed. Finally, with her next turn, she got on the eight ball. “As soon as I make this, I can tell you the names I picked out,” She teased.

I felt defeated.

Then she grabbed the cue ball and tossed it in a pocket, forfeiting and giving me the win. She giggled and walked up to kiss me. As her lips pulled away from mine, she opened her eyes. “I wanted you to win.”

It was all about the hustle when it came to Vessa and the game of pool. Luckily, I finally got to be her partner on pool league nights. I’d much rather have her play with me instead of against me.

My son weighed nine pounds and nine ounces and took twenty hours of labor to finally come into the world. Vessa was a champ considering his size. She wasn’t a happy camper trying to push him out though.

Mason Andrew Towers was welcomed into this world by his brother and sister and also my parents. Vessa had to be induced, so it gave them time to drive to town and look after the kids while I stayed at the hospital the whole time.

I can’t explain the kind of emotions that I felt when the doctor put my son in my arms. I was already happy building a future with Vessa, but having a child that we made out of love, was the best kind of gift I could have ever received. I felt whole again, like my life had purpose. I was going to be good father, I already felt like I was to Vessa’s children. It pained me to think back to a time where I didn’t want to be surrounded by the people that cared about me. Looking around the room, at all of the people in my life, made me feel so thankful.

My parents only stayed for week before heading back home. While they visited we took them out and showed them our restaurant and where I worked.

Vessa fell right into taking care of a newborn. I guess it’s like riding a bike.

I made the cover of the local paper again. This time the title read:

Sheriff And Wife Welcome Baby Boy.

It made me smile when Vessa hung it up on the refrigerator and the bulletin board at the restaurant.

I spent more time at home, only going out when there were important calls or situations that I had to tend to. Vessa liked me being there and spending most of my time with her and Mason. The truth was that I couldn’t get enough of my son. He looked like me, except his dimples were huge. I knew it was just gas, but when he smiled, it made me smile.

One day we were laying on the bed while Vessa folded his little clothes. I was making raspberry sounds and sticking my face into his neck, playing. He was just drooling and being a baby, like every day. I guess he was about four to six weeks old. I kept tickling him and he wouldn’t stop smiling. Vessa climbed on the bed with us. He saw her and smiled even more. “Look who is happy today,” She said in a baby voice.

“I’m happy every day, “I jokingly replied.

She leaned over and pressed her lips against mine. “Me too.”

“You think he’s ready to learn how to play pool?”

She grabbed his little hands and made faces. “Daddy thinks he’s going to teach you to play pool. Tell him Mommy’s going to teach you.” He kept smiling. “Tell him big boy.” I think she didn’t even have to talk in a baby voice. He always responded to the sound of her talking.

“Fine! As long as I get to watch, then I’m alright with that.”

She giggled and kissed me again. “Get him to take a nap and I’ll shoot you without clothes on.”

“Meet me downstairs in ten minutes.” I picked up my son and took him to the nursery. It took about fifteen, but when I got down those steps and saw her laying there with nothing on, I knew it was going to be a good day.

This was our life. I never thought that something beautiful could come from something so devastating. It didn’t matter how we got there. All that mattered was that was where we belonged.

The End!